Mistletoe
by tinyfierce
Summary: Ryder never thought she'd be thanking whatever spirits were up there for an ugly little parasitic branch, but it just made the first holiday party on the Nexus - and her relationship with a certain guerrilla commander - a whole lot more interesting. (Jaal is easier to read than the first line of an eye chart - too bad both his past and present lovers enjoy seeing him squirm.)
1. Chapter 1

**NOTES:**

You guys _flooded_ me with prompts and questions about these three, and it just so happened that there was one grawful idea that would fill them all at once. xD I love you guys. You're terrible.

(I also wrote this with these two drabbles being canon, but you don't need to have read them by any means!)

Many thanks to my beta, artful_fanfic, for her labor of love in combing through my smut.

Chapter 3 alone is explicit. Enjoy!

* * *

The Hyperion had somehow gone from a sterile research vessel to a festive affair that would have rivaled any of Earth's holiday celebrations.

The residents had utilized every available resource for decorations and skillfully transformed the space. Main lights in every bay had been dimmed to nothing, and in their place, the whole of the area designated for festivities had been lit with twinkling string lights and renders of snowfalls projected onto the huge stretches of polyplex walls. Replicas of Earth's most lush conifers lined the hallways, decorated with swaths of color and garlands. Faiths and traditions mixed in every display. Singing and food were everywhere.

Ryder wasn't sure if it was because of the events in Heleus, their recent victory, or flat-out homesickness, but it felt like the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

She sipped the wine that warmed her hands, enjoying the way it was seasoned with the closest approximation of mulling spices that they'd been able to replicate. It was enough for her memory, and the warmth spread outward from her fingertips and tongue and throat and set her neurons firing in red and green and bells and cinnamon. It tasted like the feeling of curling ribbon against scissors, like the smell of a non-synthetic fire, like the way her mom had danced to cheesy music piped through her research station. Yet for all that, it was only half of the reason she was trying to will her heart to chill the fuck down. The other reason was steadily arriving in increasing numbers via tram.

The humans had opened the celebrations to the entire Nexus, and it was the first time the Angara had been explicitly invited to take part in something cultural. Judging from their ambassador's reaction, it was a good move, and one that was a much more Angara-friendly way to bond. Indeed, Isa himself had been one of the first to arrive, marveling and asking questions in rapid-fire excitement. Those who followed seemed much the same; they especially liked the twinkling lights, the gold and silver, and the _hugs_ — god, all the hugs.

Ryder dared anyone to stand where she was standing and watch each Angara's face as they were greeted like family and _not_ feel like they were all that much closer to being home.

"Is it a good view?"

"Yes. I can keep an eye on things from here."

Jaal made an amused noise in his throat that he'd heard her, but wasn't convinced. "If you say so."

He was always pleased when she was openly emotional, she knew, and even more so when she acknowledged it. He was in luck; the holidays were primed for sentimental moments. She leaned against him, pressing her shoulder to his, and felt his bioelectric hum of approval through their skin.

"It is beautiful," he said as he took in their surroundings, and Ryder agreed. Whether he meant the decor or the near-seamless heartfelt melding of their peoples in one room, either would be right.

They stayed like that for a long moment, the interactions around them set to music and laughter in a dozen alien voices. The Angara seemed to be mingling well, including those recently brought on board as part of a military exchange. They had also been directly invited - though their commander's presence at the party had been a very pleasant surprise.

"Ryder. Jaal. I was told to bring _this_ to you."

He kept a close watch on his recruits, apparently. Ryder got visceral flashbacks to Alec watching from the window while she said goodbye to every date that ever had the gall to drop her off at home as Evfra seemed to materialize from a set of bell-covered bone white trees, joining them with cups in each hand. He didn't look uncomfortable, Ryder noted, though he did seem apprehensive at being given potentially scalding beverages with no explanation.

She had learned two relevant truths: Angara enjoyed big crowds. Evfra did _not_ enjoy surprises.

"Ah. Thank you." Intrigued, Jaal took what was being offered and stared at the contents. "What is it?"

"Let me check." Ryder plucked Evfra's from his hand, sipping at it experimentally. The unmistakable taste of chocolate - and definitely an alcoholic something else - greeted her mouth, and she ran her tongue over her bottom lip as she gave it back.

"It's called cocoa," she said. "Sweet. Traditional. Everything here is totally Angara-safe, though someone seems to have been a little heavy-handed with the booze in this batch."

Satisfied, Evfra took a testing swallow, and Ryder watched his expression change from doubt to surprise, then back to some form of a frown as he downed the rest in one go.

Chocolate.

 _You're fucking welcome, Heleus. Love, Earth._

"I'm getting another one," he muttered, turning back in the direction of its source.

Jaal laughed - a warm, thick sound that struck at Ryder's heart like a drum - and sampled his own. "Remarkable," he marveled. "I prefer to savor it, but agree with Evfra otherwise."

"I'm glad. It was always a favorite of mine." She stretched up to kiss him, and he lifted his mug out of the way to clear her path. "Synthesizing the flavor is easy. We could send the process to your people, if you think they'd enjoy it." She snickered. "You and Evfra can fight over who gets to present it on Aya."

Jaal chuckled and pulled back to regard her with interest. "You and he have become close."

"Have we?" She resumed drinking her wine, examining the not-unpleasant way the flavors met. "We haven't really made an effort."

"You shared a drink and neither of you thought anything of it," Jaal said. "And he now addresses you by name."

" _Last_ name. But still better than a year ago, when he would've told me to get my Pathfinder boots off his planet and I would've told him to lick 'em first."

"Such fond memories!" Jaal laughed. "To think that you would become friends."

"Yeah, well." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she drank. "I didn't think that I'd fall in _love_ with anyone he vouched for either, and look how that turned out."

She didn't need SAM to interpret the signal he was emitting. The _pull_ of his bioelectricity at her biotics, his expression - every time she used the word 'love,' he just looked at her like it was the first time he'd ever heard it and she didn't know that it would ever stop and goddamn the things this man did to her heart.

He couldn't have left her alone to be a reticent grump in peace, no - he made her want to be better, more loving. Damn him, warrior poet and love of her life and _emotional enabler._

"Come," he insisted, taking her cup and adding it to his on a nearby table. "There is dancing in the next hall, and I want to join them."

Ryder laughed, but allowed him to tug her away from the wall.

"All right, but only if we detour through Santa's Village on the way."

* * *

Hours later, the festivities were going stronger than ever, and Ryder never found herself without a drink - alcoholic or otherwise - in her hand.

On one of the observation decks, giant panel windows were draped with faux-pine garlands, and someone had very cleverly dripped industrial sealant into the shape of icicles along the top edge. A few of the Tempest's crew were lounging on the nearby sofas, having characteristically turned up around the time when parties usually started getting interesting. The conversation had turned to asking about when the non-human crew had first encountered Christmas; Peebee just cited the Asari compulsion for cataloguing other cultures ("You know Thessia, all over your business,") and as a child, Vetra had seen a performance of The Nutcracker with the first Turian _prima ballerina._ Ballet was badass, she'd declared, and she unironically loved it.

All it had taken was Jaal expressing an interest in seeing it sometime and Suvi scrambled to stand, nearly falling into Liam and Vetra's laps in her tipsy attempt to grab his arm. There was a Nutcracker Vid playing in the next room. She wanted to see it and _they were going to go watch it right now._

As she watched Jaal get dragged off in the most wholesome way possible, Ryder stifled a laugh.

"He's too accommodating."

Evfra was leaning against one of the nearby struts between glass panels, eyeing the exchange with mild disapproval. Smiling, Ryder joined him, mimicking his posture against the opposite strut and giving his foot a playful tap. "Learning new things makes him happy. You're one to talk - look at how fast you agreed to the training exchange."

He snorted. "You've proven yourselves to be formidable. And the invitation came from you personally. Wouldn't have accepted it from anyone else."

Ryder took a long, slow sip of her drink in response. It was the closest thing to an admission of trust she'd ever heard from him, and she knew even Jaal would approve of letting such a thing go this once, with this man.

"I saw your soldiers here tonight. How's the program going?"

"Well. Everyone involved is very eager, and very skilled." The loose glow from the silicone icicles caught the blues of his skin as he shifted. "Your Turians are excellent marksmen and tacticians. Krogan are fearless. Salarians are cunning, humans are highly adaptive, and the Asari know how to work as a team." Notes of both amusement and exasperation edged his voice. "Naturally, my soldiers favor the Asari."

With a snicker, Ryder crossed her arms. "Well, I'm glad they're comfortable enough with _humans_ to come tonight. Things like this are important with allies."

"Yes." He turned to sweep a quick look around the room. "They're getting on well. Time spent together outside of battle is just as critical for victory, and your event will probably be the talk of the Resistance chatter for weeks."

"Come for the hand-to-hand combat, stay for the bonding?"

"It's very Angara."

"I know. I love it."

Evfra smirked, and Ryder raised her glass in a mock toast before emptying the remainder -

"Mistletoe!"

\- and very nearly choked on it, forearm braced over her mouth.

"What," she managed, but Liam was already gleefully pointing to the tiny cluster of foliage that hung partially camouflaged in the crease of the garland overhead.

Evfra frowned as he stared up at it, craning his neck to get a better look. "This plant - it isn't one of ours."

"Ooh, I know this one!" Peebee sat up like a bolt, bounding in place and waving one arm about. "Pick me, pick me!"

"Go for it," Liam agreed, and Ryder wanted to smack them both.

"Mistletoe itself is a parasite," Peebee began, "common to deciduous forests on Earth. But it has religious and spiritual importance dating back almost _two thousand years_. It was fully incorporated into the Christmas celebrations a few centuries ago, as a symbol of luck in the coming year. The -"

"You get caught together under it, you kiss," Liam interrupted, and Peebee knocked back another shot of something electric red.

"Yeah," she grimaced, pointing in his general direction. " _Whoo_. What he said."

"It's an Earth tradition, and you don't have to." Ryder raised her hands. "No offense here. I promise."

To her surprise, Evfra put down his drink and stepped closer. "The point of the evening was cultural exchange," he pointed out.

Ryder could have sworn she heard low-pitch squeals of anticipation coming from the lounge.

" _Nice,_ " Vetra called from her seat. "But how would Jaal feel about it?"

"He'd laugh his ass off." Ryder almost wished he were here to see it, but set her empty cup to join Evfra's and offered him a half-smile. "Thank you for being a good sport about this."

"Wait, _seriously?_ " Peebee was suddenly alert again. "Oh shi - If this is a thing we're doing, I'm going to go get Jaal and drag his perfect pink ass over here _right now_."

She scramble-climbed over the back of the sofa in her haste, and Ryder sent her off with her full blessing before turning back to the Angara at hand.

"It can be a kiss on the cheek," she said, and lifted her chin.

She should've known that he didn't need the out.

Ryder felt the air leave her lungs as Evfra's mouth covered hers, full-force and with his characteristic conviction. He had a guerilla's training; he'd rid them of the space between their bodies without sound or warning and knew _just_ the spot on her lower back to pull her center of gravity upwards to meet him. Ryder's knees threatened to buckle in surprise, and she was almost irritated when his hold immediately compensated.

 _Fuck,_ Evfra. Did he _always_ kiss like this?

Cheers came from the peanut gallery as she closed her eyes and wrapped an arm about his neck, earning her an appreciative hum and parted lips. She paid the audience no mind; they could bring this up for years and she'd still remember the taste of his mouth and the feel of his pulse and the way he stifled a low groan when she reached out to gently drag her metaphorical fingernails at the edge of his electrical field with her biotics.

His hold only marginally relaxed as they parted, and his breathing returned to pace quickly - _guerilla training_ \- but his smug expression stayed infuriatingly put. Ryder was about to commend him on his exemplary cultural sensitivity when a pair of figures caught her eye over his shoulder.

Jaal stood frozen in place, even as Peebee insistently tugged him closer. His eyes were wide, his lips parted. And he was _staring._

Frowning at her silence, Evfra followed her line of sight, and Ryder saw his face shift from confusion to surprise. Jaal's expression wasn't easy to place - not immediately - and she briefly wondered if she'd made a very, _very_ poor assumption about the level of entertainment he'd get out of the situation.

"If you two hogs are _done_ ," Peebee huffed, shoving the two of them apart and out from under the mistletoe, "I have some research to do."

That seemed to snap him out of it, and Jaal chuckled as he was yanked along. "Very well," he said brightly. "For science?"

"Yeah, yeah. Pucker up."

Ryder sat on the sofa, Evfra joining her amidst the roaring laughter that was coming from the comedy show the newest mistletoe victims were putting on.

"SAM," she said, "can you replay Jaal's face just now? With the filter."

"Of course," the AI's voice replied. She looked down at her omni-tool, waiting for the algorithm she and SAM had developed with the Moshae to kick in. It only brought a small fraction of signals into the visible light spectrum, but it might tell her something that she didn't -

She paused the replay at Jaal's face. A deep, rosy hue radiated from every inch of his skin.

Ryder knew that color _very_ well.

 _Hel-lo._

"Evfra, did you see - "

" _Stars_ , Jaal. I haven't seen that from him since we were barely old enough to enlist."

"Interesting." That the sight of his past and present lovers together had sparked such strong sexual desire was - " _Very_ interesting."

"Agreed."

Evfra was looking at _her_ now, and a sly smile wound its way onto Ryder's face.

"We should find somewhere a little more private," she murmured, leaning closer. "To talk."

He smirked.

"Lead the way."


	2. Chapter 2

**NOTES:**  
In which Evfra and Ryder start to throw down.

* * *

Ryder had been in fights with Kett that drummed up less adrenaline.

Agreeing that this was something they were both _very_ interested in took all of thirty seconds; now was the time for putting it in motion. Their strategy was simple: combine their knowledge and experience to figure out what set Jaal burning and fucking _torture_ him in the best way. Considering that the two of them were regarded as principal military figures for their people, it could be considered a joint op - or alternately, the most creative form of First Contact diplomacy yet.

No boundaries. Full disclosure.

If only they had used that approach with the Turians, Ryder mused as she snapped the sterile wrapper off of a candy cane and popped it into her mouth. Her lips ran cool, though her core must have bumped up a few degrees at the sight of Jaal walking toward her with Evfra close behind.

"SAM," she instructed, "switch on the Angara filter."

 _Here we go._

Jaal pressed a kiss to her temple. " _Taoshay_. Are you enjoying yourself?" Ryder noted the sprig of holly pinned to his _rofjinn_ with a laugh, rubbing her nose quickly against his before pulling back.

"Look at you, getting into the spirit of it."

Jaal ducked his head, always pleased when she noticed such things. "I was told that it was traditional. And I think that the colors are a handsome contrast, are they not?"

"It looks great." In her peripheral vision, Evfra sat on the arm of a nearby sofa, well within reach. As expected, he seemed to have retained everything from their private debriefing.

 _Eye level,_ she had told him. _Relaxed posture. Casual touch._

"What about you," she asked Evfra, "anything you like so far?"

Her thigh bumped his as she turned to address him, and the point of contact flashed searing hot.

"Your food," he said. "It's colorful. Strong flavors." His gaze fell to the candy cane, and the corner of Ryder's mouth twitched upward. She had a _literal_ hook.

"Have either of you tried these?" She pointed to her own and gave it a demonstrative twirl between her teeth. "They're just spun sugar, no real nutritional value, but mint packs a punch."

"I have," Jaal admitted, "though I found them a bit too strong for my liking. Perhaps Evfra will fare better."

"We'll see." Evfra reached for the one she'd been nursing, and Ryder ceded it freely. To _absolutely neither of their surprise_ , Jaal watched like a hawk as the red-and-white confection traveled between their mouths, his bioelectric field tinted with the same warm pink as the last time his two lovers had swapped fluids.

"Ryder," SAM informed her on their private channel, "Jaal's increased heart rate and electrical signature indicate a heightened state of arousal, consistent with your predictions."

 _Confirmed by the AI,_ she mused as she felt it blip back into the background. _Well, then._

She leaned in, supporting herself with one hand on Evfra's knee as she reached to take her candy back. There was an audible sharp intake of breath behind her, but she kept focus. "So? What's the verdict?"

"Strong, as Jaal said," Evfra decided, running his tongue over his scarred lower lip. "But it's not bad."

"Fair." She stood and popped it innocently back into her mouth as she turned to take stock of Jaal. "Something wrong?"

"No, I - " He cleared his throat, and Ryder barely caught the quiet chuckle coming from his former commander. "I was just observing that red seems to be the symbolic color. Perhaps I should - Evfra, would you like a pin of this 'holly' as well?"

"If you insist."

Jaal excused himself - a bit too quickly - and Ryder bit her lip as she watched him go.

" _God_ , I love him so much."

"Mm." Evfra reached out to hook a finger into her belt, lazily tugging her in toward him. "Stay close. He'll be back soon."

Ryder allowed herself to be manipulated into his personal space. "Oh, I'm not going anywhere. This is _great_."

"Agreed." Ryder's eyes traveled the length of his scars, tempted to kiss him again so that her tongue might linger in the place where they split his lip. He noticed. "The scar. You've asked about it before."

She leaned back, tabling her impulse - for now. "If all goes well, I'll get to test something later."

"It will. And you will." He lifted his chin, electric blue eyes sharp and focused as they trailed the curve of her jaw, down to the hollow of her throat, the ridge of her clavicle. "I have my own curiosities."

Angaran females always kept that corresponding formation of bone covered. Ryder briefly wondered if she were being vulgar, obscene.

Slowly, she lifted his hand free of her abdomen and gave his palm a squeeze. "Are we _flirting_ , Evfra?"

"Yes. I'm enjoying it."

He was blunt, and that both caught her off guard and set her palpably more at ease. She kept forgetting that the race that had produced Jaal had also produced Evfra, and the straightforwardness so characteristic of their people was one of the things that had drawn her to her lover in the first place. She was the same; Jaal's insistent and supportive coaxing had taught her to embrace it. Now it seemed to be serving her well as Evfra's bioelectric field lit with that same beautifully pink shade of interest the longer his eyes and touch lingered on her body.

SAM alerted her to Jaal's approach, and she released Evfra's hand.

"He's coming back," Ryder said. "Reach up to my face. Tuck my hair back."

He obeyed, gloved fingertips deliberately tracing a slow path along the shell of her ear. "Hair. Is it sensitive?"

"Not on its own, but it can be. What should I be doing?"

"Where the _ulena_ meet. Put your hand there and leave it."

The thick head appendages that his kind possessed melded into the shoulders, then curved inward to a hollow at the top of his chest. It was covered by his suit and cowl, but as soon as Ryder's hand drifted to settle there, she heard a scuffle and _thud_ from behind _-_ followed by some hastily issued apologies in Shelesh.

"He was watching us and tripped?"

" He did ."

" _Beautiful._ " She straightened, going back to their previous distance as Jaal made his way over. "Jaal! Did you find one?"

Even without SAM's filter, Ryder could have seen the deep blue flushing the base of his throat. To his credit, he seemed outwardly composed, warmly smiling at them both.

"Readily," he answered. "The humans giving them out were thrilled to see them worn - especially when I mentioned you, _taoshay._ There is one for you, if you'd like."

Ryder presented her lapel to him, and he carefully set the pin at an attractive angle. "Thank you," she murmured as she pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth. Despite the vestiges of mint, he turned to meet her, deepening the kiss briefly and sending an intense current clear through to her toes.

If _that_ was indicative of what was building up inside him, Ryder mused as he turned to Evfra, they were all in for a fun night.

When it came his turn to be similarly adorned, Evfra was nothing if not cooperative. He leaned back to accommodate the other Angara, spreading his knees _just_ enough apart so that Jaal could get in close to access his cowl. Yet for all of Evfra's obliging, the latter seemed to be having difficulties bending open the pin while his commander's thighs casually enclosed his. Jaal's heart rate was directly responsive to the friction along their points of contact at every shift, and the fact that Evfra's hands hung suggestively close to his groin seemed to distract him from his very simple purpose.

Ryder had once seen Jaal pop a heat sink, thumb a fresh one out of the stock, snap it into place, and have his finger back on the trigger to fire off six rounds - all in five seconds flat. There was nothing wrong with his hands.

He swore under his breath as he fumbled his latest attempt and Evfra's legs released him. "This _thing,_ " he muttered. "Ah. Darling one, could you - "

"On it." Ryder took his place, standing between the two of them as she took the holly and twisted it open with ease. That accomplished, she lifted her free hand and wiggled her fingers. "Extra digits," she boasted, and Jaal chuckled.

"An admirable asset."

Ryder smiled at him over her shoulder before leaning over to Evfra's eye level. "Where should I put this," she asked, adjusting her weight. She wasn't bent over much - Evfra was sitting at her height by design - but it was enough.

"You're wearing them on the left." He moved forward on the armrest he'd claimed. "I'll do the same."

And now Ryder had not six inches of space front to back, breasts lightly skimming Evfra's chest with each movement. She lifted onto her toes and instantly felt Jaal's hands grasp her hips tightly as her backside grazed the front of his suit. Firmly sandwiched between them, she _knew_ what kind of images were flooding Jaal's head, evidenced by the fact that she could practically take his pulse through her ass.

She slid the pin into place on Evfra's cowl and felt the weight of Jaal's forehead press against the crown of her hair. One hot, shuddering breath made its way down the back of her neck, and for a moment his grip was almost painful.

When sharp things were no longer a risk to his person, Evfra was free to move. One hand - his dominant hand, his trigger hand - silently took hold of the zipper pull on Ryder's jacket and struck it down in one fluid, graceful motion, as one might light a match. Ryder had earlier given him _carte blanche_ with her body and he had done the same; the understanding suited them both. Available to him now was the curve of her waist, and his free hand slid under the leather to use the slope as a guide. As he palmed her hip, Ryder hummed a warm encouragement, and it wasn't long before his fused digits brushed Jaal's, only to be immediately captured and _squeezed_ and held in place.

"Evfra," Jaal managed against Ryder's hair. " _Shea_. I -"

"Pathfinder!"

Hearing her title called was like opening the hatch on Voeld. The three of them were suddenly disentangled and spaced respectably apart, Ryder straightening her outerwear back into shape.

"Vorn," she greeted. "Glad you made it."

The krogan beamed as he lumbered over with a plate of snacks, and Ryder reminded herself that she liked him very much despite his _consistently fucking terrible_ timing.

"Come on," he said, ushering her toward the main hall. "Kesh's by the snow machine. She wanted to see you, but she's, well - you know - walking right now is -"

"Say no more," Ryder interrupted. "Those eggs were the size of watermelons. I'll do the walking."

The two angara watched her go, duty taking the place of whatever had almost just happened.

"Drink," Evfra offered, and Jaal let out a long exhale.

" _Please_."

* * *

Nearly an hour later, and touching Evfra had lost none of its thrill. Not for her, and not for Jaal.

They were being pulled in different directions, the three of them; Evfra to his soldiers, Jaal to the Tempest crew and those he had befriended, and Ryder was Pathfinder. Yet on every pass, every moment traveling between points and people, it seemed like the crowd itself parted for Ryder to brush her hand against Evfra's, to lock stares just a moment too long, and for Jaal to see them and imagine and _burn_.

Standing amid a field of snowy white trees strung with fairy lights, Ryder congratulated herself on her most recent and well-executed escape from one of Tann's publicity moments. She had better things to do than a photo op or providing some cliched pull quote.

"That's why I never got involved in Aya's politics."

The familiar accent seemed to come out of nowhere. For being over six feet tall and _blue_ , Evfra was a master of moving about unnoticed, and Ryder was envious - she could have used that skill ten minutes ago.

"But Governor Shie tried," she said, turning to face him, and he grimaced.

"She did. Still does. If I ever agree to any of that garbage, _shoot_ me."

Ryder caught her lower lip between her teeth to stifle a laugh. They watched the passersby together in silence for a few long moments, and it wasn't long before her fingers itched to trace the seams of his suit as it stretched over his hip. There were straps to pull, flat planes to explore - restraint in the face of freedom was a challenge.

Evfra glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, making a noise in his throat.

"If you want to touch me, do it," he rumbled. "I thought I made myself clear."

"Oh! Was I -"

"Broadcasting? Yes." He turned to regard her with keen curiosity. "The _subconscious_ mimicry - that's new."

"Mm. It's gotten to the point where I have to actively _think_ to turn it off." Something struck her, and she smirked. "Hey, remember that time when I was first starting to learn, and I mistook the 'fuck me' wavelength for 'let's be friends,' and strolled confidently into your office to make an ass of myself?"

" _That_." A chuckle vibrated in his chest. "You were responsible for the most uncomfortable conversation I've ever had with the Moshae. I feel like there should be an honor for that."

"I'd take it." Nudging him with her shoulder, she offered him contact, pressure. "Earlier, Jaal was telling me how happy he was that you and I are friends now."

Evfra supported her weight with a snort. "He'll be even happier _later_ ," he said, scanning the crowd. "If he ever shows up." The yellow-gold of irritation flickered across his bioelectric field. "Five minutes. He's slipping."

"You could go get him."

"And risk being assaulted by your Asari in the name of science? I've seen how well that turns out, and I am _not_ interested."

"Not interested in what?"

Jaal emerged from the crowd to join them, and Ryder thumbed in Evfra's direction. "He's scared of Peebee," she joked, and Jaal's face brightened.

" _Evfra_ ," he chided. "She's a kind soul, if a little… overenthusiastic. There's no need to be intimidated."

"Don't be ridiculous. I've faced down nightmares your Asari couldn't even imagine ."

"True." Jaal turned to Ryder, a note of pride in his voice. "In the Resistance, Evfra's reputation for fearlessness was almost legend."

"Is that so?" Ryder crossed her arms. "I do have a name that would send him _running_ in terror."

"I'd like to see you try."

Smirking, Ryder leaned in close - close enough to touch, close enough to remind Jaal what was on offer - and threw down.

" _Governor De Tershaav._ "

She had never heard Evfra laugh before. It was short, sharp, like a bark - but it changed his face and presence so entirely and caught her so off-guard that an involuntary laugh bubbled up from her own chest.

Jaal chuckled as he laid a hand on his former commander's shoulder. "I never thought I'd see it," he marveled. "The mighty Evfra, taken down by -"

"Your _taoshay,_ " Evfra interrupted, "fires low."

Ryder watched as something in Jaal changed at that word, and the hand that had been buried in Evfra's cowl lifted to catch his chin. None of the entertainment left Evfra's face as he allowed himself to be turned, and Jaal's thumb moved to graze his mouth.

In that moment, it occurred to Ryder that she'd never actually seen them kiss, and the prospect must have lit up her artificial bioelectricity enough to rival the décor.

She didn't get the chance; the sudden sound of people cheering a toast behind them was enough to snap him out of it, and Ryder very briefly and very seriously considered banning any and all toasts for the rest of the party.

"Forgive me," Jaal managed as he withdrew, throat flushed and eyes darting back and forth but never meeting either of their gazes. "I… seem to have forgotten something. Elsewhere."

"Jaal -"

Despite her protests, Jaal turned and quickly made his way through the collection of trees.

Evfra wasn't far behind. "Leave him to me," he said. "But stay close."

Ryder agreed - she never sent someone in without backup - but kept a safe distance as she followed them, weaving through the crowd and two full party halls. They were nearly at the other end of the Hyperion by the time Jaal seemed to have settled in a private observation pavilion that suffered from lack of both decoration and foot traffic. Evfra followed him in and Ryder held back at the door, the two of them playing to their strengths; it occurred to Ryder that they would make an effective combat team, should the need arise. For now, she would observe, not push.

Jaal leaned against a handrail, floor-to-ceiling viewing panes allowing for a beautifully unobstructed view of Heleus that was currently going unappreciated. Evfra was his inverse, no hesitation in his gait or words as he approached.

"You are far too obvious."

Jaal sighed. "Evfra. I -"

"Just tell her you want to take us both to bed."

"My desires are my own." His voice was strained. "She already does so much to - I could never ask."

"Shame. Ryder will be disappointed." Evfra leaned back against the rail and crossed his arms as Jaal spun to face him. _That_ caught his attention.

" What did you just -"

He smirked, adjusting his shoulders. "It was her idea. After you saw us kiss under that _plant_ , we both could practically see the fantasies going through your head."

" _Ryder_ could?" Jaal frowned. "How would she…"

As it dawned on him, Ryder could see his eyes widen and posture falter.

" _SAM_ ," he realized, mortified. "The filter. Oh, _stars -_ "

An amused noise rumbled in Evfra's throat. "You were easier to read than a _govataan_ signpost. Every time we so much as touched, you couldn't put two words together."

Cautiously, Jaal straightened. "You were… encouraging me."

"Most fun I've had in ages." Smugness tugged at the scarred side of his lips. "That moment when you had her ass in your hands and I was an inch from my tongue on her throat? I half-thought you were going to start something there in full view of her people."

Jaal chuckled. "I very nearly did." He was more relaxed now, though still hesitant. "Seeing the two of you together was... _exhilarating_. Like something out of a dream."

"What _dream_." Evfra took Jaal's hand, laying it over the hollow on his own chest. "This is an _offer,_ Jaal."

Jaal drew in a shaky breath at the contact. That bone formation magnified the reverb of their bioelectricity fivefold; Ryder could only see a fraction of what he was seeing. And it was _already_ strong.

"And Shea?" he managed.

"We spoke. Turned out to be the key to not annoying each other out of our skin." He leaned in, trapping Jaal between him and the handrail. "Imagine," he murmured, "what we could do to you with _both_ of our mouths if we stopped arguing for a few hours."

Jaal groaned inwardly and his free hand fumbled to grasp the rail behind him for support. "If this is what she truly wants - "

Evfra closed the remaining few inches and claimed Jaal's mouth in a brief, firm, _searing_ kiss that made Ryder pray that SAM was recording this.

"Ryder's apartment," he issued as he drew back just enough to speak. "One hour. We stagger our exits."

With a low growl in his chest, Jaal gave a short nod, and Evfra released him. Ryder ducked out of sight around the door's edge, making eye contact with the commander as he strode out of the pavilion alone.

 _One,_ she signed as he passed, and he inclined his head in acknowledgment. She would leave first.

When he had disappeared into the crowd, Ryder beelined for the trams, Angaran-fueled electricity in every step.

She had some preparations to do.


	3. Chapter 3

This final chapter is _very_ NSFW, and it's a long one.

Enjoy~

* * *

She usually preferred the dim, and was glad for it now.

The sole source of light in Ryder's apartment on the Nexus had been reduced to a single lit tree in the living quarters. It was smaller and less ornate than its cousins at the holiday party, but strong enough to cast a low, inviting glow in its radius. On the nearby sofa, Ryder admired the silhouetted curve of Evfra's lounging form as her feet explored his lap.

"Thirty seconds," she said as her timer counted down to the hour. "Any last questions?"

"No." He pressed his thumb into the arch of her foot, and she drew in a harsh breath.

"SAM," she instructed, "unlock the door."

 _Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen._

The familiar _beep_ of her door panel alerted them both to Jaal's arrival, and Evfra lifted his chin.

"Early," he said in a low voice. "He's eager."

"Good." Ryder smiled as she heard her door close and lock, then the shuffling and clicking she recognized as Jaal undoing the latches on his boots and removing them at her entryway, something she insisted upon and he never questioned. She wondered when he would begin to see this as _his_ apartment as well; perhaps she should remind him explicitly. Later.

She listened to his footsteps as he made his way through the kitchen and turned the corner - and then there he was.

They had offered, and he had come.

Ryder turned to greet him with a warm smile, stretching lazily in a way she knew drove his hands mad for contact. "Jaal. Good timing. I've been keeping Evfra entertained and given him some vital debriefing."

"I can imagine," Jaal chuckled, soon within arm's length. Ryder rolled up to her knees on the cushions to better face him, and the moment space allowed, she reached over the back of the sofa and tugged him over by his _rofjinn_ until his hips pressed into the upholstery between them. There was hesitation in his hands as they settled on her hips, though her mouth on his throat and the moan it elicited seemed to steady them as his grip tightened.

"You're both sure, then," he asked, glancing at Evfra.

"I am… intrigued," his former commander said. "I do nothing I don't want to. You should know that better than anyone."

Jaal's attention turned back to Ryder. "And you, _taoshay?_ "

"I want to fuck him." She thumbed toward the other side of the sofa. "And between the two of us, we're pretty sure we can break you."

That caught him off-guard, and Ryder felt his hips go slack as he nearly lost his balance. Watching, Evfra smirked, and Ryder got the distinct impression that that smirk had undone Jaal before.

"What have I done," Jaal murmured against her, "to deserve _two_ such lovers?"

She was aware of Evfra shifting to the right, and she moved to accommodate as his hand began scaling Jaal's thigh. Her own mirrored the same motions, sliding up over Jaal's chest and under his _rofjinn_ to settle in the intimate dip of his shoulder.

"But you're here because _you_ want to be." She ducked her head to catch his gaze. "Otherwise we can stop."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and his gloved hands reached to desperately grasp each of theirs on his body.

"There isn't a word in either of our tongues," he managed, "for _how much_ I want this _._ "

That was all the 'yes' Ryder needed as she and Evfra yanked him down onto the sofa like they were underwater and pulling him in with them to drown.

It was an apt comparison, given how little breath any of them took. Ryder's mouth claimed Jaal's as Evfra's teeth traced his shoulder and his hands expertly undid the buckles on Jaal's oversuit. She felt the _snap_ of them opening, millimeters and thin layers ever closer to skin, and released Jaal to shuck the gloves from his wrists. In her absence Evfra took her place, and watching Jaal kiss him for the first time in years gave Ryder the visual she never thought she'd have of what Jaal must have looked like as a horny Angaran teenager.

He moaned as she settled onto his lap, and she could only hope that he could tap into that youthful stamina again.

"Fuck," she murmured against Jaal's throat, deft fingers bunching and pulling and peeling away the thick fabric. "I might just _watch_ you two."

"Don't you dare." Jaal's hands - or Evfra's, she couldn't tell and she couldn't care - were at her fastenings, shuffling her clothes loose to expose her, and a third was hungrily delving into the ass of her leggings and drawing her upward so that they might easier overcome the obstacle of her hips. In an effort to be cooperative, Ryder lifted her weight off of one leg -

\- only to go tumbling sideways against Evfra's chest, rolling tits-up onto his thighs as Jaal struggled with her pants, clumsy in his haste.

"Far too _tight_ ," he huffed as he tried to wrench the bunched-up garment from her knees, and Ryder laughed deeply and affectionately from the same place in her core that had goaded her into this situation.

"You never complained before," she reminded him, lifting her legs across his lap obligingly. "Side zipper."

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

The smile didn't leave her face as Evfra palmed her breasts through the open neck of her shirt, dragging his thick fingertips roughly up over her ribcage. She exhaled low and deep as she arched her back to meet his exploration. The angle allowed her a better path to the catches on his suit, and she relished the cool air across the skin of her freed legs and waist and lower chest while her fingers made short work of any impediments to getting the owner of the hard-on pressing into her shoulder naked.

She pulled herself up to sitting knowing full well how much the muscles in her stomach drew Jaal's attention. So did her ass, and that was what she presented to him as she turned to finish her handiwork at Evfra's shoulders. His holster straps came loose with a satisfying _snap_ \- Jaal's mouth on her lower back and fused digits pressing through the 'fuck me' panties she'd changed into nearly made her miss it - but she hesitated at the grey bands holding his cowl in place.

She'd never taken off another Angara's _rofjinn_ before. It had been meaningful for Jaal, another first time filled with tenderness and learning, but she hadn't thought to ask this far ahead.

"Hey," she said, hand lingering on the first clasp. "Is it okay if I take this off?"

He let her shirt drop to the floor. "I don't need to take it off to do this."

Ryder froze. "Is that a _thing_ for Angara," she asked in a moment of retrospective panic, and Evfra smirked.

"No."

Groaning, Ryder ignored the vibrations of a chuckle coming from the general area of her backside and shoved him lightly. "Oh, fuck y-"

He interrupted her with his mouth, one hand fisting itself in her hair to pull her in close and angle her head to allow him better access. _Right_ , she remembered as she sucked in a gasp, she had told him about that.

"Thank you for asking," he said sincerely, and closed the gap between them again.

Now that she finally, _finally_ had the chance, she used her fingertips to guide her tongue to the scar on his lip and gently sink her teeth into the soft flesh surrounding it. Evfra groaned against her, body briefly stiffening before his hands abandoned her to hastily see to his own remaining clothing.

She released him to allow him freedom of movement, though Jaal seemed loath to give up his hold on her hip.

"Jaal," she called from balancing on her elbows.

"Yes, darling one?" His thumb stroked long lines along the soaked fabric covering her crotch, and she turned to grin at him over her shoulder.

"Evfra likes biting."

His thumb brushed against her clit, and she bucked back sharply.

"I know," he rumbled. "And watching you discover him is _mesmerizing_."

Jaal knew just how to touch her, how to pinpoint the smallest, most vulnerable targets to tease at her self-control. As he began to press slow, firm circles _just_ around the bundle of nerves he so often doted upon, Ryder pressed her face into the cushions and let loose a muffled whine. Jaal _loved_ those panties. She hated them right now.

"Jaal." Evfra's voice came from above her, and she felt an unfamiliar hand - though boldly confident - glide down her spine and across the satin that stretched taut across the curve of her ass.

"Strip," he issued, and Ryder snickered despite herself.

"Seconded."

She felt Jaal withdraw at her feet and Evfra's knee sink into the cushions by her head, the creak of Jaal's oversuit dulled by the thundering of the blood in her ears as Evfra's bare thigh brushed her cheek.

"Two commanders is too much for him to defy," he observed, and it occurred to Ryder that _that_ could be something for the three of them to save for the future. For now, she rocked back onto her heels, breaking contact with Evfra and shifting to the floor to assist Jaal with the lower half of his suit. Having her kneel at that height was clearly the borderline of restraint for him, and she saw the muscles in his abdomen and thighs twitch as her breath ghosted over the heat of his cock.

"Darling one," he managed, caressing her cheek as she tossed his lower ensemble aside. "I - _ah_!"

She took him into her mouth, half his length for half a second and half a breath and just that was enough to curl him in on himself in surrender.

"Couch," she told him, hands pushing firmly on his thighs. "You won't make it standing."

"I'll be very surprised if I make it through _alive_ ," he countered, but did as he was told. Evfra was waiting for him and pulled Jaal down against the plush fabric to run his tongue over his former lieutenant's _ulena_ and throat. Beaming, Ryder looped her folded arms across the meeting of their thighs to watch the visceral way her lover's body writhed and yearned and responded to the touch of another Angara.

 _Another Angara._

Her gaze immediately sought out Evfra's lap, knees spread to accommodate the anatomy of his legs on her human furniture. He'd given her _carte blanche_ , and damned if she wasn't going to take it. _For research_ , she reassured herself as she craned her neck to get a better view, but a Pathfinder's curiosity was prized above all else and she was damn good at her job.

Evfra's arousal was on full display, nearly identical to Jaal's in rough size and shape. One major and minor flare thickened the head, and the top was lined with a row of regular, distinct ridges that widened the closer they came to the hilt. She could see the sheen of the thin overskin, even in the low light, but most importantly of all, it was -

"Blue!"

With a frown, Evfra pulled his attention away from making Jaal dissolve into a puddle of saliva and skin on her sofa and stared down at Ryder.

"What?"

"Your dick. The color's amazing."

She wasn't exaggerating - the same pale blue of his skin graded into a deep, almost black ultramarine at the tip and at the crest of each ridge, though she never grew tired of Jaal's handsome blush-to-purple hues, either.

"It's beautiful," she insisted, and Evfra's brow furrowed just as Jaal laughed and pressed a kiss to the unmarked side of his face.

"She told me the same," he said. "You get used to it."

With a noise in his throat, Evfra relaxed back into the upholstery. "All this, and you're happy just to _look_."

"No, once I touch you, I'm not stopping until you come." She bit the exposed skin of his thigh, locking eyes with him over the flash of her teeth as he groaned. "So show me how it's done."

He moved to take himself in hand, but Ryder interrupted - as fucking _gorgeous_ a visual as that was, she had other plans.

"Show me on Jaal," she prompted, moving a few feet over to settle herself between her lover's knees. "No one gets _themselves_ off tonight."

There was no argument to that, and she had the best seats in the house as Jaal opened his mouth against Evfra's, whispering endearments in Shelesh as the latter's hand slid over the lines of his groin.

"Ah," he managed as fingers pressed into the underside of his cock before wrapping around the length of him. " _Evfra._ "

Ryder tried to remember that this was an opportunity to learn new techniques, but the way Jaal's hips moved in shallow, staggering thrusts was captivating. His skin was flushed, light charges traveling through his body and pulsing with each adjustment of Evfra's skilled fingers, never more beautiful to her than when his body was as honest and open as his heart.

Before long, Evfra began artfully thumbing the deepest folds of his ridges, and Jaal immediately let out a loud moan and arched back into the cushions. His hand grasped at the sofa's edge, and Ryder caught it in hers.

" _Interesting,_ " she murmured, squeezing. " _That's_ new." Smirking, she leaned her head closer in on Jaal's thigh. "Do it again."

Evfra complied, eliciting another gasp from his mark. And another.

"Again," she instructed, but Evfra's hand shifted to long, lazy strokes that teased at the flared head.

"Too much friction," he said.

That was a problem Ryder could solve.

She tugged his hand free from Jaal's cock, ignoring the tight exhale of frustration that it earned her. Instead, she brought the thick band of fused digits into her mouth, rolling them around in her tongue and coating them thickly in saliva. When she moved onto his index finger, she was able to bring him in to the base knuckle, earning her an appreciative hum from the hand's owner.

The motion wasn't lost on Jaal, who had regained his bearings enough to level a ravenous stare at the motion of her lips around Evfra's fingers.

"Enjoying the show," she teased, and he very nearly crushed the hand that still held his.

" _Yes._ "

When she was satisfied, Evfra resumed his earlier work, and the difference that lubrication made was immediate. If Jaal had been a mess before, now he was a full-blown _wreck_ , and within seconds of being touched again was bucking up frantically into Evfra's grasp.

"I imagine," Ryder murmured quietly against him, "that that's the place that gets you off when you fuck me."

She knew from experience the effect words could have on him, and Jaal immediately let out a low groan and spilled himself into his commander's hand, trembling and spasming in every inch of muscle throughout his body. The bioelectricity that had been building within him discharged, rippling against her biotics like wake from a passing ship.

" _That_ did you in?" Ryder nipped at him affectionately as he slowly came down and she handed Evfra a towel.

Head thrown back, Jaal chuckled weakly. "Have you forgotten what you two have been up to for the last several hours?"

"Fair." She stretched up to kiss him, and he met her with a contented noise.

"Now I can enjoy you both with less… urgency."

"Speaking of which." Ryder shifted, waiting patiently as Evfra finished cleaning up. "Now that I've seen how effective that particular technique is, I want to try it myself."

"Typical human," Evfra snorted.

"With my mouth."

 _That_ got his attention, and he lay the towel aside to regard her curiously. "Mouths lack the strength," he told her, but she was undeterred.

" _Yours_ might," she pointed out. "But humans have much better jaw and tongue strength."

Jaal rumbled an agreement. "They do, Evfra, they really do."

"I see." Adjusting his posture, Evfra leaned his head against one hand and stared down at Ryder smugly. "Then by all means."

The invitation was one she had been waiting for since the moment he stepped through her door. Relishing the opportunity, Ryder slid her palms up his thighs, up the planes of his abdomen, breasts pushing over the sofa's edge and onto the cushions as she came back down to center. There was no hesitation as she stroked him with her tongue once, twice before enveloping him in the heat of her mouth.

She felt him suck in a long, silent inhale as he hit the roof of her mouth and her lips brushed the formative ridges that had proved to be so interesting. She'd paid attention and they had all night; she could take her time and relish this.

A year ago, he had threatened to kill her while his men kept their rifles trained at her head. Now she had his dick in her mouth.

Heleus was a weird fucking place.

His body relaxed as she worked him slowly and deliberately, taking him in to the hilt every so often and lightly dragging her teeth against the protective outer layer of overskin until it was taut and sensitive.

Evfra smirked, shallowly thrusting to meet her on one such pass. "Silent is a good look for you."

With a glare, Ryder built up a minor biotic charge in her mouth and pulled back to the head.

 _Three. Two._

She let it loose as she sank her lips to his base, earning her a sharp moan as Evfra came up off of his hand and buckled inward around her.

" _Human_ ," he swore, and Ryder could hear Jaal's chuckle from beside them.

The ridges, swollen and wet from her attentions, were primed and deeply satisfying to travel over. Evfra's irritation transformed in an instant, though the intensity with which he was watching her never waivered - especially when her mouth found the dips between each ridge, tracing the same practiced patterns with her tongue as he had with his hand. His breath was haggard, his fingers digging into her Initiative-approved upholstery.

"Yes," he managed. "Like that."

Evfra's eyes were electric blue in a sea of black sclera. They had never failed to put her off-guard; now they were following each movement with a heat that made her shiver every time the fabric covering her crotch so much as shifted. And she wasn't the only one.

" _Stars,"_ Jaal murmured, and Ryder caught a glimpse of him as he admired them, hard again and engrossed in every aspect of the exchange before him. "If you hadn't already, this would have undone me."

Bless that nonexistent Angaran refractory period; Ryder had met _drive cores_ with more charge time. His fingers found her hair, settling affectionately as his mouth began to trace a path from Evfra's shoulder to jaw.

"Darling one," he murmured, "he is close."

That was fine by Ryder, and Evfra was growling something unintelligible as she teased and lathed at the precise points she now knew to be his weakness. The hum of his bioelectricity traveled through her tongue and into her teeth and ears, an almost exact channel for divining the second he would peak.

"If you stop," he rasped, "I swear on every life on Aya that I will _find you_ and - "

That was her cue, and she hummed around him as she focused all of her attention on her newest discovery. Pressure, speed, _vibration -_

With a guttural moan and the snap of his hips, Evfra came in her mouth, and the world went temporarily muted as his bioelectricity hit her eardrums and rendered everything delightfully fuzzy. She was glad she had gone down on Jaal before; the immediate side effects would have been _very_ disconcerting otherwise.

Unlike Jaal, however, there was no period of blissful repose - his hands were suddenly on her body, insistent on ridding her of the last remaining bits of clothing that hid her most intimate parts from view, from touch, from exploration. His immediate response to something new was a counterattack, and while Ryder couldn't fault such an instinct, she needed a moment to catch up.

Ryder fell back against the bed, SAM briefly resurfacing to speed the righting of her senses along. Jaal's hands were there to guide her, lifting at the small of her waist as she struggled to seat herself on the mattress.

Evfra had never had to make accommodations for a human partner - she was grateful for Jaal's role as a go-between even as one of her simultaneous goals was to render him a stammering mess.

The solid quality of Jaal's arm - wrapped around her ribs to steady her - was easy to focus on, and Ryder leaned forward into it with a smirk as she felt his free hand unhook her bra. And while Jaal traced his mouth up to her ear, checking in quietly, Evfra moved ever downward. The bra fell to the floor, abandoned the instant Evfra finally had full access to her breasts, and Ryder lifted her hips to assist in getting the matching panties to follow suit.

She was fully exposed now, Evfra kneeling on the floor in front of her and in prime position to retaliate for her little biotic stunt earlier.

Ryder arched and let out a soundless gasp as lips and teeth found one nipple and Evfra's hands encouraged her thighs to spread.

"Darling one," Jaal breathed, "lay back. I want to see this."

Ryder didn't need much incentive to comply - all of the core strength she'd conditioned and trained for was useless in the face of having her tits bitten, and one arm shot up to clutch at her lover as she collapsed against him.

Evfra's amused snort cooled the saliva left over her angry skin. "Well done," he said as one hand rested on her inner thigh, the other holding her waist in place when she instinctively bucked away. "When you said to be rough, I thought you were bluffing."

"I meant it," she managed, gritting her teeth and arching her back to allow his mouth better access to the tender underside of her breasts. "I don't- _ah_ , f- I don't see the point in being shy."

"Appreciated." His attention moved south, and a low whine set in Ryder's chest the moment his fingers found her outer lips. Slow, testing strokes pulled them apart, and each brush against the side of her clit sent a warm shiver radially outwards.

Jaal knew that shiver all too well.

"There's a nerve complex," he told Evfra. "In the center, just above -"

"Show me."

His free hand traveled the length of her body down, anticipation setting her nerves singing as his skilled fingertips found her clit and _pulled_ inward, displaying it swollen and wet and -

The sudden heat of Evfra's mouth was enough to startle a sob from her chest, Jaal's fingers indirectly included in the attentions from his tongue. Ryder felt him stiffen against her back, the arms supporting her suddenly tightening as his breathing stuttered.

" _Yes,"_ he exhaled, and he groaned as Ryder rolled her hips against Evra's jaw, inadvertently pushing back against Jaal's cock with every movement. Angaran tongues were _built_ for this, flat and flexible and just fucking magical. Evfra, especially, was quick to learn and adapt, and he easily interpreted the mewls and hums that resulted from each stroke, firmness, speed. Ryder ran a hand over his head, dragging her fingernails lightly over each ridge formation. She'd brought towels out so that she wouldn't have to change the sheets. They were long forgotten, and this edge was going to be _soaked_ and it would all be so very worth it.

"You are beautiful together, more than I had ever thought I deserved to see," Jaal murmured. "Stars, how I would love to see him inside of you."

"That can be arranged," Evfra replied dryly, less one for poetry and more for fucking. "Ryder?"

"Internal's good for humans, too," she said, feeling very much the same. He sat back, and she closed her eyes to let out a slow exhale and enjoy the way his thick finger _stretched_ her beautifully. "Fuck, Evfra. That - _hnng -_ oh, _fuck._ "

"Apologies," he snorted. "Translator didn't catch that."

"Fuck you. That better?"

His hand stilled, and she whimpered.

"Try again," he issued in that Voeld-tinted accent, and the fight drained from Ryder's voice as she pressed her face into Jaal's shoulder.

"Fuck me," she begged, " _please,_ " and she was immediately rewarded. His wrist curled, pace quicker than it had been and hitting a pleasant spot a bit deeper. She clenched around him, sinking to meet his thrusts and angling to widen her hips. It was good, so damn _good._ The tension in her stomach was building rapidly, and she wasn't sure if it was the result of his hands or his tone. They'd have to play with that again, sometime.

Suddenly, a second hand - experienced, loving - joined Evfra's, this one rubbing jerky, quick circles across the hood of her clit.

"Jaal," she rasped. "If you do that, I'll -"

"Come? Good." Evfra sped up, and Ryder curled her fist into the blanket beside her.

"Revenge," Jaal chuckled warmly against her, nipping at her earlobe. "For the last three hours."

And between the two of them, her orgasm slammed into her within seconds. Tremors through her body squeezed every inch of breath from her lungs, and a blinding heat washed over her in white, electric waves. It was everything she could do not to slip forward from the safety of the bed, entire core contorting around the source and silencing the rest of her senses except _that one_.

It was only as the trembling subsided and their hands slowed that she found words again.

"I…" she managed, "can't remember coming that fast in my life."

Evfra laughed - there it was again, that sharp sound - and moved to support her, joining both her and Jaal onto the bed. "Is that normal for humans?"

She smiled drowsily, pulling him in for a kiss and tasting herself on his mouth. "Jaal played dirty."

"Never," Jaal protested from laying prone behind her. "Creative, perhaps. But never dirty."

"I was _there_ ," Ryder said, banter returning her strength incrementally. "Evfra, shut him up."

"Thought you'd never ask." Evfra stepped off the bed and circled to Jaal, thumbing his former ensign's lower lip with a feral smirk while the other hand held his cock.

"You heard the order," Evfra said, and was granted access to Jaal's eager mouth.

Ryder sat upright. Now _this_ was almost better than coming, she thought as she crawled over to straddle Jaal's thighs. Watching Evfra's dick disappear inch by inch past Jaal's lips was beyond description, and her pulse thundered in time with the throbbing between her legs.

Evfra reached out one hand to rest on the back of Jaal's head, a low groan rumbling in his chest as Jaal's pale tongue wrapped around him on one pass. "This isn't much of a punishment," he said, electric blue gaze briefly flicking to Ryder. "He always liked doing this."

"And I like watching," she replied. "One of these days, you'll have to come on his face for me."

Jaal moaned beneath her, cock twitching, and Ryder laughed.

"It's a thing some humans are into," she said as she shifted forward enough that her slick folds brushed up _just_ against his hard-on. His hips arched instinctively, and his subsequent groan of frustration was muffled by Evfra's inward thrust.

"Interesting." Evfra shuddered out a breath. "Not something we ever did, but clearly - _mnn_ \- Jaal doesn't object."

Ryder lifted her hips a bit, dragging hot, wet friction against the underside of Jaal's cock as she slid back down. He moaned again, the vibration carrying through to Evfra, who let out a low growl and pressed his hips further.

"More," he issued flatly. "I know you can."

Ryder bit her lip as Jaal obediently shifted the angle of his chin, slowly taking his former commander in to the hilt. Six hundred years of missed birthdays made up for in one night - and the idea that he was getting off on this just as much as she was was _perfect._ Leaning in, she affectionately spread her fingers and palm across his abdomen, traveling up to the hollow formation of his chest and resting it there. His hand reached up to cover hers instinctively, squeezing as she ran her thumb in idle circles.

She briefly wondered if Evfra had ever been blown in his office on Aya, and if not, what it would take to make that happen.

With a wet _pop_ , Evfra pulled his cock free and moved to the foot of the bed. "Keep him distracted," he instructed Ryder as he passed, palming a bottle from her nightstand, and she gave a mock salute.

"I can do that," she said, and reached down to better angle Jaal against her entrance. Slowly, she sank her hips, and his long, low sigh as he seated himself inside of her was a treasure.

"Darling one," he murmured, "you feel _incredible._ "

Ryder shifted her hips in a slow, wide figure-eight, and Jaal melted back into the bed with a moan.

"Well," she said matter-of-factly, "it turns out that you and I _both_ get off on Evfra mouthfucking you."

Both Angara laughed, and Jaal pressed one hand to his face, the other resting affectionately on her knee.

"You are being especially vulgar tonight," he chuckled. "What must Evfra think?"

"I like it," Evfra replied. " 'Mouth-fuck,' that's a new one."

Suddenly, Ryder felt both she and Jaal yanked backward, pulled several feet closer to the foot of the bed. _Fuck_ , Evfra was strong. But he had said to keep Jaal distracted - which was very easy to do from her current position.

"Hey," she called softly, raising herself nearly entirely off. "Had you thought about this before?" She slid back down, and Jaal groaned.

" _Taoshay-"_

"Being with both of us?" She rose and fell again, slowly, _slowly_ , aware of Jaal's legs behind lifted behind her as his thighs pressed up against the swell of her backside.

"I sometimes thought - _ah_ \- that the two of you would enjoy one another," he said, large hands sliding up over her knees.

"And by 'thought,' you mean…?"

If possible, his throat was even more flushed now, and his bioelectricity tinged purple with embarrassment. Of _course_ he did. But she wanted him to _say_ it.

"Jaal," she said again, hands bracing on his alien hipbones to prevent him from thrusting up. "Did you get yourself off imagining Evfra and I together?"

"Yes," he admitted, and let out a gasp when she tightened her muscles around him. "But I never dreamed that we would -"

His expression shifted, eyes unfocused, and Ryder knew _precisely_ what Evfra must have been doing to Jaal behind her. She only wished she could see it; her imagination was almost certainly doing it no justice.

"So," she continued, rocking her hips in shallow ovals, "when it was right in front of you at the party -"

"I could think of nothing else." His grip on her thighs became painful, his breathing sharp and desperate. "Holding my feelings back was torture, even the memory of it - _taoshay_ , _please -_ "

He was getting close again, and Evfra's hand on her waist stilled her. Despite Jaal's immediate cry of frustration, Ryder complied, relishing the warmth of Evfra's chest against her back as he positioned himself between Jaal's legs. She turned to wrap one arm around his neck, presenting her throat for his attentions as he pushed forward.

Jaal's body trembled beautifully beneath her.

" _Ah,"_ he managed, eyes fixed glassily on the ceiling. "Oh, _Evfra._ "

Evfra withdrew gradually, Jaal exhaling with every inch, then reseated himself at the same languid pace. This time, however, he stayed flush, nudging her head aside to better expose her shoulder. Ryder felt one hand slide around the curve of her waist and settle at the junction of her thighs just above where Jaal sat within her.

As he mimicked Jaal's earlier slow, firm circles across her clit, Ryder sucked in a rough gasp. The arm around him tightened, hand awkwardly grasping at air, and she bucked into his fingers.

" _Fuck_ are you a fast learner," she muttered, and a warm shiver washed down her spine as she felt a hot rush of her own fluids spread over Jaal's cock inside her. Every muscle from toes to jaw tightened, pulling inward as the intensity of the sensation built.

"Jaal," she murmured at his moan, "can you feel this?"

Evfra chuckled. "He does. _I_ can tell from here." He set his mouth, wide and open, at the junction of her shoulder, and his grip on her shifted. Suddenly, his thumb and index finger were working in tandem on either side of her hood, and the rapid jerk-and-curl movements very nearly sucked every ounce of strength from her limbs.

The hand dangling uselessly around Evfra's neck spasmed as she let loose an incomprehensible string of expletives, the other digging blunted fingernails into the back of the hand working her so ruthlessly.

"What," she choked, "in the _hell_ -"

"Trigger finger," he smirked against her.

Ryder slapped the side of his face lightly for being smug -

\- and cried out as his teeth sank into her earlobe.

If it was meant as punishment for raising a hand against him, it was a poor one - she had told him about her ears herself. Piercing heat slammed through her core, enough to push Jaal over the edge he had been on for too long and he grasped her tightly as he came. His bioelectricity spread through her hips and stomach, webbing outward as he stammered endearments and ground himself upward to meet her frantic grinding. It was too much and just enough and fucking perfect and _deep_ and _fast -_

Evfra's hold on her, firm and unyielding, was an anchor as she stifled a half-sob and let her orgasm wash over her. Both her ear and crotch pulsed with heat, each tremor filling them with blood and sensation and nerves that would have screamed at the slightest touch.

By the time she came down, Jaal was waiting for her, still hard and entranced as he watched her face while trailing loving and light touch across the planes of her stomach. Evfra's hand withdrew, shifting instead to wrap around both of Jaal's thighs, and Ryder smiled as Jaal's gaze snapped to hers.

 _I love you_ , she mouthed as Evfra began to fuck him in earnest.

None of them were capable of restraint at that point, every movement hard and desperate. Jaal's grasp held on for life itself as Ryder's translator failed to pick up _anything_ he managed that resembled language. She had the best seat in the house to watch him writhe, arching his back and pushing down against the snap of Evfra's hips, and Ryder leaned forward to support herself, feeling the reverberations in her breasts every time Evfra slammed against her ass. He set the rhythm, the force of his thrusts more than enough to carry into her hips and roll her over Jaal's cock.

And god, the _noises_ coming out of Evfra's throat were enough to soak Ryder through. If she was missing something in her human hearing, she didn't care; his shuddered grunts and low, ever-constant current grounded her in both of them. With each almost-painful bounce of her tits, she simultaneously prayed for him never to stop and questioned how much more her body could take.

She felt his breath on her back, the heat of his skin a point of connection as his forehead rested against her.

"It's been a long time," he muttered between thrusts. "I can't - I'm close."

One of Jaal's hands reached down to grasp his commander's, and he squeezed with what strength he had.

"I want to feel you," he murmured. "Evfra, _come._ "

That was that, and it wasn't long before Evfra hit full-tilt. Ryder could sense his peak coming, bracing herself and meeting him with every ounce of her energy left in reserve. Jaal lost himself in them, drowned in sensation and bedsheets between the combined force of his two lovers fucking him _together_.

A growl set in Evfra's chest, his pace violent, erratic -

\- and moments later, Ryder's world caught light.

With a hoarse cry, Evfra hit his climax and spilled into Jaal, bioelectrics discharging in a cascade that set off Jaal, and Ryder in turn. Nothing human could have prepared her for the phenomenon charging through her flesh, waves and waves of overwhelming sensation that blanketed her in a pleasure that was altogether new and _very_ vivid and _fuck_ if she ever would be able to feel anything else ever again. If she didn't know any better, she would have said that she could _taste_ her orgasm in her mouth as it burned across her tongue and escaped as a strangled whine.

Everything seemed to stop around them, and Ryder wasn't sure if the world had fallen into silence or if her hearing had just been knocked off-course, but she couldn't be bothered to care. Not a millimeter of her wasn't on fire, sensitive and practically _vibrating_ like a high that made all of her hair stand on end. Coming down from it would undoubtedly be jarring, but until then, this was heaven and the afterglow was her goddamn halo. The rest of the galaxy could wait.

Evfra was leaning against her still, spent and showing identical tremors coursing through him. A gasp wrenched itself from Ryder's chest - she hadn't realized she wasn't breathing - and a light brush of pins and needles burned for a moment in her palms. She leaned down to press a kiss to Jaal's chest, and one of his hands weakly found her hair.

SAM's visual spectrum filter cast their bioelectricity in a rich, vibrant hue of a color Ryder could only describe as 'holy shit.'

So _this_ was what the Angara could do.

Humans, she thought to herself with a smirk, were ruined for her forever.

* * *

It was only later, after strength had returned to their limbs and they managed to extricate themselves, hydrate, and clean up somewhat (in that order), that Ryder felt the sensation in her legs returning. She ran her hands along them, stretching and wiggling her toes experimentally.

"A good sign," Evfra offered, and she agreed as she sipped her water. The two of them sat propped up against her headboard, pillows artfully re-purposed for comfort. They had both since gathered themselves up enough to tidy somewhat, the soft glow from the tree's lights more than enough for towels and bathrobes.

Jaal was another story.

"Jaal?"

He lay practically nonverbal, sprawled gracelessly and nude across the lower half of the bed. When he managed an acknowledging huff, Ryder smiled over the rim of her cup.

"Sweetheart, you need your sunlamp?"

He grunted.

"Perhaps," came the muffled reply.

Snickering, Ryder leaned back against the makeshift cushioning, looking to Evfra in turn. "Let me know if _you_ want it," she said. "It's compact, but meets standard emission levels."

"No, thank you."

He took a long, slow swallow from his glass, and Ryder shifted onto her hip to better watch him. Places on his _ulena_ were mottled, swollen-looking - no doubt from being assaulted by two mouths - but this was the most relaxed she could ever remember seeing the commander. To her surprise, their intimacy seemed to come easily and comfortably to them both, and she wondered whether it was a natural inclination for him as an Angara or due to their congruent similarities.

Either way, it was though a wall had suddenly dropped between them and their ease of interaction was that much more effortless.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You're staring. _Again._ "

"Yep." Water abandoned on the end table, she propped her head up on one arm. "I learned a lot today."

"As did I." The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smirk. "Is this how _all_ festivals end for humans?"

Ryder laughed, yet-unrecovered stomach muscles aching in protest. "Honestly," she admitted, "this is the best Christmas I can remember having as an adult, in a lot of ways." Her smile was warm and genuine, and she stretched out to nudge him with her foot. "Thank you, Evfra."

A purplish tinge of embarrassment flickered across the filter, and he made a noncommittal noise in his throat. "Save your thanks. Sleeping with you was hardly taxing."

Ryder bit her tongue lightly, but the implication of that statement was too much to let pass. "Come to think of it," she mused aloud, "it didn't take much discussion before we were both on board for this. When did you become interested - or rather, aware of me - before tonight?"

"You were the same," he pointed out, and she agreed.

"I'd been more conscious of you for a while now. This progression wasn't difficult."

 _That_ caught his curiosity, and he turned to regard her with interest. "Were you?"

"Mm. Not _attraction_ , necessarily, but..." She searched for the memory, brow slightly furrowed. "The day you showed up to one of our meetings injured, and you let me apply the ointment for you - we were alone in your office, and we were interacting both skin-to-skin and talking about things outside of the command. Common ground, and touch? Something shifted."

"I remember," he said. "You flirted with me."

"And you were up for it." She adjusted her weight against the pillows. "So, when was it for you?"

He was silent as he considered his answer, eyes narrowed and focused past her on the far wall.

"Eos," he informed her. "I watched you throw four Kett into an acid pool at once without so much as a weapon."

Ryder choked out a laugh in disbelief. "And that was a turn-on for you?"

"It wasn't that _simple_." He frowned. "But that was the day things changed. A lot of things. Especially how I saw you, _knew_ you."

As much as she wanted more information, more detail, Ryder contented herself with his answer. It did, however, raise one interesting question.

"So if you're so interested in my power," she offered, "how would you feel about something similar to tonight, except I let you put me in restraints?"

The expression on his face and bright, warm pink lighting up his bioelectricity were all the answer Ryder needed. Laughing, she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"We should do this again. Maybe in your office next time."

He snorted, but did not move away from the gesture. "Yes. And _no_."

"Do you want to stay over?"

There was a moment of hesitation, of a tight jaw and what was undoubtedly an intimacy he hadn't thought would be offered.

"I will," he conceded, "if Jaal showers."

A chuckle rose up from the foot of the bed.

"Such a taskmaster," Jaal murmured.


End file.
